Local officials had mixed reactions to the news that a congressman sent letters expressing concerns about a breakdown in relations between the U.S. Attorney’s office in Reno and the local agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Although a U.S. senator from Iowa, Chuck Grassley, sent letters to Nevada’s U.S. Attorney and the head of ATF about the problems in Reno, Nevada’s two senators would not talk to the RGJ about the rift.

"The allegations of a breakdown occurring between the ATF's Reno field office and the US Attorney's office are concerning," Grassley said in an email to the Reno Gazette-Journal late Wednesday. "Crimes may be going unpunished because of personality conflicts or bureaucratic squabbling between prosecutors and ATF. I've requested documents and a briefing from both the ATF and the US Attorney's office that I hope will shed some light on what's happening in Nevada."

“We are going to decline to comment on this,” said Kristen Orthman, spokeswoman for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. U.S. Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., did not respond to requests for comment.

Washoe County District Attorney Richard Gammick said he was aware of the problems between the two agencies but in recent months his office had been working with ATF officials in Las Vegas and San Francisco to resolve some of the disputes.

Gammick said he was unhappy with a decision by one of the Reno federal prosecutors to dismiss a federal firearms case and plans to go after the guy on a state charge instead.

Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said law enforcement agencies often have discussions with the district attorneys and U.S. attorneys about where a case should be prosecuted “for the highest possible return.”

But, over the past year, there was disagreement about where those cases should be handled, and that was part of the problem between the federal prosecutors and ATF agents.

He said officials with the U.S. Attorney’s office met with local law enforcement often to let them know what was going on and how it would be resolved.

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He said the agents are missed.

“The ATF is important to our partnership,” he said. “They are a tool in our law enforcement toolbox.”

But he said he was told that efforts were being made to get the office staffed again “and get them back into play as quickly as possible.”

Haley said he was not sure that the departure of the ATF agents from Reno would greatly impact public safety because Nevada already has “such an open gun policy” that four or five agents won’t make a huge difference. He said gun sales at shows and other places keep firearms flowing in the region.

Reno Police Chief Steven Pitts said he, too, was aware of the problems but said he was “never privy to the details.”

“What I can tell you is we have great relationships with ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s office,” Pitts said. “I haven’t had any trouble with any agents. We have great relationships with all the federal agents in this area.

“Our teams have worked closely with ATF,” he said. But Pitts said he has no data on whether law enforcement efforts have been hindered by the agents’ departure.

“Of course, it would improve your capacity with those agents,” he said. “But I don’t have any hard numbers.”